Increased cotton prices excite farmers in Acholi

GULU – Cotton farmers under West Acholi Cooperative Union Limited are excited about increased cotton prices from Shs1,500, last year to Shs 2700, this year.

West Acholi Cooperative Union Limited, is a farmer based cooperative union established in1960.

The Union has 9,300 members with 60 primary cooperatives in the districts of Amuru, Nwoya, Gulu and Omoro.

Each primary cooperative has between 60-150 members.

The cooperative majorly grows cotton, soya, maize, groundnuts

According to the General Manager, West Acholi Cooperative Union, (WACU), Bob Albert Ogen, cotton prices internationally have gone high compared to the previous years and we expect more farmers to engage in cotton farming.

“At the moment, the production is low internationally that is why the prices have gone high,” he said.

“China and India have been hit harder by Covid-19, yet they are the largest producers of cotton; limiting their activities in cotton growing that is why prices have gone high,” he said.

The demand is high but production is low worldwide, according to Ogen’s observation.

We anticipate more cotton acreages next year. As leaders we are on the ground mobilizing farmers.

Cotton takes five months to mature and most farmers in West Acholi grow between one to three acres.

Jackson Okwera, a cotton farmer also Chairperson Puranga Gem Cooperative Society said, the price increment has motivated more farmers to revive cotton growing.

“Some farmers had abandoned the crop arguing that it was labor intensive yet the returns are little,” he said.

Members are eager to plant on a large-scale next year, looking at the price increment.

He however warned the farmers on planting only cotton because of its price increment, adding that food security is key in having stable families.

https://thecooperator.news/embrace-agriculture-unoc-ed-tells-kingdom-subjects/

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Uganda gains new access to Zambia’s dairy market

UGANDA – Uganda has gained new access to Zambia’s dairy market despite a long-standing impasse with Kenya on ban on the export of powdered milk.

While unavailing the new market, Pearl Dairy flagged off 50 tons of powdered milk to Zambia.

During the launch, Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), thanked Pearl Dairy for ensuring a high standard investment contribution towards the development of the dairy value chain of Ugandan milk.

“I congratulate you for this breakthrough in the new market and for being consistent in ensuring quality standards. Whoever says, he can not take Ugandan milk because of quality issues, is either speaking out of ignorance or malice,” said Minister Tumwebaze.

He also applauded Zambia and Coca-Cola for the policy of supporting African products.

“With such new milk markets, dairy farming will gain more momentum enticing farmers to advance its production capacities to satisfy the export market,” said Minister Tumwebaze.

Minister Tumwebaze condemned international companies rejecting Uganda’s milk without carrying out tastes and research.

“There is no rocket science here. If you doubt the quality of our milk, come and taste it because standards are not unique to a country, they are universal. So, I want to appeal to Ugandans especially you the media and the elite who would like to take wrong propaganda online and elsewhere, you are doing us a disservice,” the minister said.

Tumwebaze cautioned farmers and processors to build their farms, factories and companies with a focus on its value chain in order to sustain the products market.

“The value chain helps a farmer to be sensitive on what the market requires and at MAAIF, we want to follow the value chain flow. If its beef which is still one of the undeveloped value chains, how do we prepare our beef exports for the international market?”

Gen David Kajura Kyomukama, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture also emphasized that the issue of agriculture in Uganda is an issue of production and productivity, post-harvest handling, marketing, pasteurization and adding value to industrialization.

“All of them are linked because without market, people produce at a loss because the price will go down. And if you are not consistent in what you produce at your factory; you will not have market for your products. The world now is keen on food safety and quality standards which is one of our ethical codes as a ministry,” Kyomukama advised.

“I will continue to push our neighbors to discuss the trade issues and we hope bilaterally and in the spirit of the East African Corporation, we will get a way forward in as far as a win-win trade between Kenya and Uganda is concerned,” Tumwebaze explained.

Lt Col James Mwesigye, the Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Mbarara, appreciated Pearl Dairy as a leading factory in creating employment opportunities to the people of the western region.

“I remember one time when they were stopped from taking their products to Kenya, they took some days without operating and the whole of western region was crying. So, when you are helping Pearl Dairy, you are indirectly helping a farmer also to get money,” says Mwesigye

Lord Mayor, Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi appealed to the government to improve on the quality of acaricides which has become a public issue among farmers to fight tick borne diseases in the region.

“I am sure our milk standards will increase but I request the government to improve on the quality of drugs which farmers use especially those used to fight ticks such that our farmers can stop suffering unnecessary expenditures on drugs,” says Kakyebezi.

Bijoy Varghese, the General Manager, of Pearl Diary, the first to supply milk products to the new market said the factory consumes 800,000 litres of milk daily collected from 100,00 farmers from the Ankole cattle corridor.

Pearl Dairy Farms Ltd is a milk processing company located in Biharwe, a neighborhood along the Masaka-Mbarara Road.

The dairy factory is one of Uganda’s top milk processors built on 15 acres (6.1 ha)with capacity to process over 800,000 litres of milk daily for the last 9 years.

It processes Lato Milk and its branded products such as flavored milk, yoghurt, ghee, powdered milk, UHT milk, butter and flavored milk as the four leading export products for the dairy company in Uganda.

The dairy factory has invested heavily in its state-of-the-art processing plant that exports its products to over 20 countries including; Japan, Nepal, UAE, Egypt, Oman, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, and South Sudan among others.

“We produce world class quality products that conform to both the local and international market standards. And within the last 2 years, we have expanded our reach to Malawi, Ethiopia, and Burundi,” said Varghese.

According to statistics from the Dairy Development Authority, milk production in the country has increased from 2.5 billion litres in 2018 to 2.8 billion litres in 2020 and also the dairy exports have increased to over Shs.341 billion in the last four years.

https://thecooperator.news/nda-cattle-farmers-blame-each-other-on-tick-resistance-in-western-uganda/

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Alebtong district failed to recover Shs. 840m from youth projects

ALBETONG – Alebtong district has failed to recover Shs 840m which the government released to support various youth projects in the district.

The money was disbursed to supplement Youth Livelihood Program (YLP) and Youth Venture Fund (YVF) in three financial years (2014/2015, 2017/2018, 2019/2020) according to the district LC5 boss, David Kennedy Odongo.

He said the district received Shs1.4b in these financial years to support the projects but since then they have recovered only Shs153m.

“The financial support was given to youth groups and they were supposed to get, use it and repay but a number have failed to repay,” Odongo said.

His comment followed the recent concern raised by the District Youth Chairperson, Robert Ocen during the youth day celebration. He further said, government was at the stage of scrapping the Youth Livelihood Program and redirecting the funds to the Parish Development Program.

“The youth are leaving in fear that Youth Livelihood Program which was the only program to facilitate youth activities will soon be no more,” Ocen was quoted as saying during the celebration held at Alebtong primary school.

Odongo said with the figure of Shs 840 unrecovered, it means a lot of money is still with the youth though they are crying for government support, marginalization and scrapping of youth development projects.

He also said, the government has already invested a lot on youth and their budget for this financial year 2021/2022 to the tune of Shs29b and allocated Shs14b for education.

“When you talk about education, it means you are talking about the youth who are going to be future leaders,” he added.

“The government injected Shs 2b for the construction of Abia Seeds Secondary School, Shs1.8b for Awei and Shs800m for Angetta Secondary School,” said Odongo.

He advised young people to embrace government programs such as Emyooga and Parish Development Program which are due to be kicked off.

“Work on your mindset and avoid the blame game if you want to progress,” he added.

He said under the Emyooga program, the district has received Shs 1.1b and what has already been disbursed is Shs 370m.

Ocen requested the government to extend the repayment period of Emyooga to one year and relax other conditions required to access the money.

https://thecooperator.news/hoima-city-women-and-pwds-get-shs-151million/

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COP26: UNEP calls for more efforts on climate finance and adaptation plans

GLASGOW – Finance for climate change adaptation as well as implementation plans are still very low, despite increasing policies and planning for climate change mitigation, a new report published by United Nations Environment Program, UNEP, has said.

The Adaption Gap Report, 2021: The Gathering Storm, says although the world is focused on stepping up efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, there is a need to “dramatically up our game to adapt,” as climate impacts continue to outpace attempts to adapt to them,” said Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of UNEP.

The report was launched on Thursday as world leaders continued to hold discussions at Glasgow in the 26th UN conference on climate change, to jointly attempt to limit global warming, in fulfillment of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

In 2001, the Adaptation Fund was created under the Kyoto Protocol to finance real adaptation projects in developing countries that are most vulnerable to the harsh effects of climate change.

Adaptation and climate finance are the first two goals of the COP26, aiming at urging countries affected by climate change to “protect and restore their ecosystems and build defenses, warning and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives,” through various programs.

However, Anderson said, adaptation financing is still a huge concern because the gap between what we need to spend to adapt and what we are spending is widening, and could reach $ 280-500 billion each year by 2050 for poor countries alone.

The report adds that although international public adaptation finance has risen by 50% between 2017-2020, it is still low.

The report recognizes that climate change adaptation is increasingly being embedded in policy and planning worldwide by countries. At least 79% of all countries are said to be using at least one national-level adaptation planning instrument, showing a 7% rise since 2020.

Andersen said, all these efforts are not yet enough, even if the tap on greenhouse gas emissions were to be turned off today.

“We need to scale up further and increase public adaptation finance including but not limited to overcoming barriers for private sector engagement, as implantation at current rates may not keep pace with increasing levels of climate change.”

“This UNEP report clearly shows that we need to change our adaptation ambition for funding and implementation, to significantly reduce damages and losses from climate change. And we need it now,” she said.

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Nebbi farmers shun cotton growing over short term crops

NEBBI – For the last three years, cotton growers in Nebbi district have shunned cotton growing for short term crops like rice due to consistent fluctuations in the price of cotton. Most farmers say it has only contributed to their prolonged life in poverty.

Due to the continuous fluctuation of cotton in the world market, farmers have resorted to growing of short-term crops like maize, soya beans, water melons, groundnuts and beans with a sustainable income and result oriented nature which benefit farmers within the period of three months.

The farmers who are reaping from other short-term crops have their livelihoods changed compared to cotton growing where cotton farmers have remained poor for more than 20 years.

According to some farmers, cotton fetched low prices of only Shs 1500 per kilo which many producers say it’s a huge loss compared to the working capital that each farmer spends right from preparing the cotton field.

Oyoma Francis, one of the traditional cotton farmers in Ndhew sub-county, Nebbi district says, last season, he planted more than 5 acres of cotton with a hope of getting profits to send his children to school but ended up getting frustrated with both the yields and price.

“I have never realized any profits from cotton growing for the last three planting seasons due to price and poor seeds quality,” Oyoma said.

The farmers have been battling with low price for cotton commodity for the last five years with the price ranging from Shs 1000 to Shs 1200.

Oyoma further noted that the refusal by most traditional cotton farmers to produce the crop this season, may lead to shortage of cotton commodity since most farmers have opted to grow less tedious crops for easy management.

Another cotton farmer in Atego sub-county, Nebbi district, Franko Wacal says, in 2020, he planted 2 acres of cotton and spent more than Shs 700,000 but only harvested 300kgs which amounted to Shs 450,000 at Shs 1500 per kilo.

“Cotton growing is no longer attractive to farmers due to the production cost incurred by the farmers right from preparing the land up to the harvest time,” Wacal said.

https://thecooperator.news/plummeting-prices-anger-cotton-farmers/

Wacal added that farmers had better soils and they had no reasons sticking to a crop that fetches low returns due to marketability and it’s labor intensive which gives no room to farmers to tap profits at the end of the season.

An official from the Cotton Development Organization (CDO) anonymously said, Uganda has the lowest influence with the price of cotton compared to the world market which has remained a consistent challenge to cotton farmers.

He adds that surprisingly for more than 2 years, cotton farmers have not been realizing good yields and returns due to the outbreak of jessed cotton pest which affected the quality and price of cotton.

“We are getting challenges with continuous fluctuation of cotton prices in the world market with only 5 to 10% of cotton being sold internally in the country but, 90% of cotton was mostly exported to the world market whereby the prices of the cotton are dictated in the world market which has demoralized cotton farmers, ” he said.

He says the country is registering low cotton production due to climatic changes and the fluctuation of cotton prices in the world market during the harvest season which has barred cotton farmers from growing the quantities needed to be exported to the global market.

But this year, the price of cotton has increased from Shs1500 to Shs 2000 and farmers still say, the price is not high enough compared to the workload at the cotton plantation.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC0 Emma Onyango Okol says, cotton was among the top main cash crops in the country for the last 30 years but there has been a problem with prices after harvest which are so demoralizing and contributing to poverty among the farmers since its labor intensive.

Onyango adds that there is need to restore cooperatives society such that farmers’ problems are well managed to avoid exploitation of farmers by the middle men who take advantage of farmers’ ignorance while negotiating prices.

“Cotton farmers should be linked directly to cotton ginneries to avoid exploitation of farmers by middle men who take advantage over them. This has affected their economic transformation; farmers should be encouraged to form cooperatives,” Onyango said.

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Acholi leaders question the contribution of investors in community empowerment

ACHOLI – Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) and Ker Kwaro Acholi (KKA), the Acholi Cultural Institution has questioned the contribution of the several investors in the sub-region on socio-economic empowerment of the community.

This was during last weekend’s Investors Forum organized by Acholi Parliamentary Group held in Vila Kazi in Got Apwoyo sub-county in Nwoya district.

Tony Awany, the APG Secretary for Lands and Investments says, despite the influx of several investors setting up farms and factories in the sub-region, the community has remained poor.

Awany faults some of the investors including Bukona factory which is located in Nwoya East for rallying farmers in larger numbers to plant cassava promising ready market yet they did not buy even a kilo of cassava.

“About three years ago, thousands of farmers were rallied to plant cassava because there was a ready market. But when the cassava got ready, not even a kilo of cassava was bought by Bukona which rallied people to plant cassava,” Awany notes.

According to Awany, several community members, especially those who stay around the factories, have been reduced to casual laborers who are mistreated and in some cases, not even paid their due allowances.

“We have heard cases of investors failing to pay their workers for several months and yet while lobbying for funds from the government; they claim they want to empower the community around them. One wonders whether this is an empowerment or adding more salt to their injuries,” Awany said.

Paska Achiro Menya, the Pader district Woman MP says, despite the government of Uganda through NAADs and the Uganda Development Cooperation (UDC). having supported the investors to set up their investments, the socio-economic status of the communities in the region who are used to lobby for funds from the government has remained miserably low.

In some factories, the owners recruit casual workers from other parts of the country and in some cases import workers from other countries other than training the community members to have the required skills and then employ them, said Achiro.

Anthony Akol, the Kilak North Member of Parliament who also doubles as the Chairperson Acholi Parliamentary Group says, as leaders, they have resolved that if any investor is not ready to employ community members in the Sub Region, they will not be allowed to operate in the sub-region.

According to Akol, as leaders, they want the investors to prioritize local content while employing workers and establishing various corporate social responsibilities.

https://thecooperator.news/apg-withdraws-ultimatum-after-reaching-agreement/

“What we want is that for any investor operating or who wants to operate in Acholi sub-region, they must ensure that they have local content as far as their employment is concerned. They should also design some corporate social responsibility activities which cause real time impact not just games per say like some companies have been doing,” Akol noted.

Mohamoud Abdi Mohamed, the Director of Agriculture from Atiak Sugar speaking during the forum says that most of the people around their factory are lazy and often opt out of the jobs even when given opportunity.

According to Mohamoud, depending on various factors, there’s generally low skills level from the community which has forced them to in some cases import workers from other countries. He says that in 2016, they imported 600 welders from India because they could not access highly skilled people in the local market.

Julian Omala Adyeri, the Director of Delight says, in some cases they are constrained by finances which make them struggle to reach the communities.

According to Omala, for Delight, they have distributed Ipads, seedlings among others to more than 3000 farmers in Nwoya district.

Ambrose Olaa, the Prime Minister, Ker Kwaro Acholi, says that in most cases, the cultural institution is left out by the investors which is why in some areas; people have continued to languish in abject poverty.

Olaa says that as the cultural institution, they have a clear demand from any investor who intends to establish an investment in the sub Region that seeks to ensure that the livelihoods of the community members in the areas are elevated.

Recently, a study conducted by Uganda Bureau of Statistics put the poverty level in Acholi sub-region at 68%.

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Government injects Shs 527m towards the completion of two health facilities in Alebtong.

ALEBTONG – Government has committed Shs 527m towards the completion of two health facilities in Alebtong district to improve access to healthcare services.

The health facilities were among the 60 in the country to be upgraded to Health Center IIIs by the World Bank program of Inter-governmental Fiscal Transfer in 2019.

The government awarded the contract to Otada Construction Company Ltd and the State Minister for Sports, Denis Hamson Obua, who is also Ajuri county legislator handed over the two facilities to the contractor.

More than Shs 1.2b was earmarked to undertake the construction and upgrading of Angetta and Awei health centres respectively.

The scope of the work was to construct a general ward, improve the out-patient department, construct two twin houses, and ventilated improved pit latrines and a medical waste management system.

But as time progressed, the work stalled and the contractor disappeared according to the area local leadership and the community.

The company abandoned the work due to lack of funds according to sources. The remaining work was roofing, fixing of doors, windows and painting.

The district LC5 Chairperson, David Kennedy Odongo says, the two Sub Counties had no health facilities and service delivery was being hindered due to long distances to the health facilities and high population in those areas. Angetta has 32 villages and Awei 48 respectively.

Through guidance from government, the district sourced for another contractor, Wangi Gen Company Ltd and started undertaking the work in August.

“Right now, they are at the finishing stage,” Odongo said.

“After completion, it will save our people from travelling long distances to seek health services.”

Angetta was carved out of Omoro Sub County in 2018, while Awei was split from Abako six years ago. The two Sub Counties had no Health Center IIIs and the community were travelling between 10 km to 12 km to access health services.

Besides, they don’t have a public secondary school as per the Ministry of Education and Sports guidelines.

The Angetta LC3 Chairperson, Robert Okullo applauded the government for the timely intervention towards the project.

“We were very disappointed when the company [Otada Construction] abandoned the site and vanished without informing us,” Okullo said.

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“They left the work at the ring-beam and since then, they are nowhere to be seen,” Okullo adds when contacted.

Efforts to reach Otada Construction was futile since their known telephone contacts were not available.

Another health facility, Ogwette Health Center II, in Otuke Sub County whose contract was awarded to the same company but was abandoned, has prompted the district to secure another service provider. Approximately, Shs 600m has been earmarked to upgrade the facility.

Peter Okweda, the Ogwette LC3 Chairperson says, the work started on a good note and they thought when accomplished it was going to address the problem of access to health services.

“One year down the road, it has become another big problem again for us as leaders and the community,” he said.

He says right now, a new contractor has been identified and they are just waiting to start the work.

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